Tag Archives: guilding

An article on 3 tips for landing press for your business has circulated on the web this week. As a blogger, I like the first tip in the article:

1. Start small and targeted. Connect with the bloggers that cover your industry and build a rapport with them. You’ll get on their radar, and if they choose to write about you, their story could get picked up by a major publication, leading to even more coverage.

Getting press coverage, on a blog, in a digital magazine or print magazine, or in a video interview, means that you will be seen by a new audience and reach a new market. You can also excerpt your feature article from the publication and share it on your blog and on social media. If you are interviewed on camera, you can post your video interview on your blog, on your YouTube channel and share on Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook etc.

Artist Karen Fitzgerald is one professional artist who knows how to get press coverage. Watch Karen as she energetically talks about her work in the video interview below. Karen says, “It happened at an art fair I was participating in Manhattan, New York City in the Fall of 2013. It was a very “happenstance” moment. These 2 gentlemen were roving around interviewing people and asked me if I’d like to be part of an interview. I said yes! They were sweet and funny and so easy to work with. They were enthusiastic and made me feel very comfortable.”

Karen’s Advice to Artists: if you know ahead of time that an interview is coming up, plot out 3 or 4 main ideas you want to share. (For example: what the current work is about; your process; your historical or contemporary influences.) Don’t get too complex with your ideas – let the interviewer ask a follow-up question if they want to know more about what you just said.

If you don’t have time to prepare, speak off the cuff in as genuine a way as you can. Ask your interviewer for 30 – 60 seconds for you to gather your wits before they roll the camera, if that is appropriate. Smile a lot. Pause. Breathe and let your interviewer ask questions. Know you are never going to get said everything you want or might need to. Ask politely for the interviewer to post contact information about you and your work.

Artist and expert fine art gilder Karen Fitzgerald is hosting a day-long gilding workshop on September 9, in Long Island City, Western Queens, New York City. Find out more here: http://fitzgeraldart.com/gilding-workshop/

During my communications with Karen about her video, she didn’t miss a beat, but immediately sent me details on her gilding workshop, asking if I could post about her workshop along with the video.

Follow Karen’s lead. Connect with art bloggers and share your artist news with them. Have all the details in place– press release style or as an announcement–include images and links. If a blogger has an opening, you could get featured on an art blog. (Find more art blogs on this 57 page e-list of publications with artists. Read their submission guidelines and submit your artist news.)